By Jawad Ahmed, Research Writer in Islamabad
For more than seventy years people of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered and the international conscience is missing somewhere. International community is witnessing the traditional brutality of India since illegal action of annexing the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The history of this brutality dates back to 1949 when India went to the UNSC, UNSC assured that plebiscite will held and India agreed over it, Kashmiris were equally satisficed over it. After that the things started evolving and in 1950’s Nehru deviated from his own promise to the international community and to the Kashmiris. 73 years have passed and that right of self-determination to Kashmiris is still to be given. Out of 15 clauses of this resolution, 9 are about holding plebiscite.
Occupied Kashmir is one of the most militarized zones of the World with deployment of around one million Indian forces. That means for every family there is a soldier. This is one of the worst open jail in the World where there is no right to the people especially to the Muslims. Demographic changes in IIOJK have been made in a callus way by the Modi government. Around 45 lac domiciles have been distributed so that demography could be changed and if at some stage if there is a plebiscite, result would go in Indian favour. Extra judicial killings and kidnappings are going on in a regular way, in the last week 15 Kashmiri youth have been martyred by Indian forces over fake charges.
Kashmir issue has been sufficiently highlighted in international media and major international countries since Modi abrogated article 370. At the same time extremist Modi government by pursuing the policy of hatred in portraying Kashmiri leadership as terrorists. Indian governments is aligning freedom movement with terrorism.
Pakistan has been doing efforts in highlighting Kashmir issue on every forum including OIC, UN and other international forums. The Permanent Five (P5) countries needs to be revisited as far as this implementation of right to self-determination in concerned. These countries also understand the plight of the people but there are certain hindrances that do not allow them to implement these resolutions in letter and spirit.
One can say that US has spent trillions of Dollars in their war in Afghanistan but they failed in the hearts and minds of Afghan people. Similarly, since 1947 India has spent close to trillion Dollars and failed to win hearts of Kashmiris. In fact, after Indian act of 5 Aug 2019, all Kashmiris across the political divides, they are totally alleviated from India.
Since 1980’s Kashmir scenario has changed as we are witnessing a genocide. International community cautious has gone missing over this issue. All were hoping reviving of values after Biden coming in power but nothing is happening. In the context of international movements, justice delivered to East Timor, South Sudan and Kosovo, this all happened in last one decade but only Kashmiris were deprived from justice. Situation will go more badly if the international community does not respond and if selective morality is applied on the region because the Kashmiris happens to be Muslims.
Kashmiri people have been a victim of geography and a victim of clashing the great power interest in this region. India has benefited the engagement of international players in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, international community looked the other way because of their interests in India against the rising China and looking into the rising Russia in the region. This scenario resulted in suffering of Kashmiri people that are still continuing to suffer. This is the reason people of Kashmir has picked up arms and they will continue this armed struggle.
Pakistan needs to continue informing all permanent five members of the UN Security Council of their obligation to honor the UN’s charter. UN has passed different resolutions over the years on IIOJK, then there is a Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which is also not being implemented in IIOJK at all.
Although, more to be done but we can conclude with positive developments on Kashmir. Recently Kashmir issue was highlighted in the UN and other forums. Russell Tribunal on Kashmir took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia to shed light on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by India in Kashmir. Kashmir issue was also highlighted in the European countries with an effective role played by Kashmiri diaspora in exposing India globally.
This is a proven fact that freedom movements always succeeded when they have indigenous support. Continuation of freedom struggle in IIOJK is not going to bring peace in India and peace between India and Pakistan. If global powers do not refrain India or compel India to change its policies than the region is rightly being termed as nuclear flashpoint over this chronic issue. Pakistan needs to be diplomatically, politically and morally proactive by taking India to the international community over its unjustified actions in IIOJK.
There seems to be a concerted effort to break the will of the Kashmiris who have continued to face the tragedies of occupation for over 70 years. In these times India has suffocated the living for Kashmiris. The time has come when international communities should play its role and scrutinize India to respect the basic human rights of Kashmiris and arrange the implementation of UN resolutions so that Kashmir dispute could be settled in accordance to the Kashmiris’ aspirations.
